WEBDESK - NAYADAUR
Lawyers and rights activists Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, were rearrested hours after the Supreme Court suspended their sentences and ordered their release on bail in a social media posts case.
The couple was taken into custody in connection with a separate case registered at Islamabad’s Kohsar Police Station and later produced before an anti-terrorism court (ATC).
ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain rejected the police request for 30 days of physical remand and instead sent both accused to judicial custody for 14 days. They were subsequently taken back to Adiala Jail.
The latest development came on Thursday, Sept. 17, only hours after a two-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim suspended the couple’s sentences in a case concerning their social media posts.
The Supreme Court granted them bail until the Islamabad High Court decides their pending appeals, subject to personal surety bonds of Rs200,000 each.
Police seek physical remand
According to the ATC proceedings, police sought 30 days of physical remand for investigation and recovery.
The court rejected the request, noting that the FIR alleged the couple had been members of an unlawful assembly but did not attribute possession of any weapon to them. The judge consequently ordered their 14-day judicial remand.
The court directed that the accused be produced again on Oct. 1 and instructed the investigating officer to submit the relevant report under Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code within the stipulated period.
The fresh case is separate from the PECA proceedings in which the Supreme Court granted relief to the couple. Reports said the Kohsar case involves allegations including anti-state narratives, incitement and interference with official duties.
Supreme Court suspends 17-year sentences
Earlier Thursday, the Supreme Court suspended the sentences imposed on Mazari and Chattha in January in the controversial social media posts case.
An Islamabad sessions court had sentenced each to a combined 17 years in prison under several provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), along with substantial fines.
The couple challenged their convictions before the Islamabad High Court and sought suspension of their sentences while their appeals remained pending.
The Supreme Court had previously directed the IHC in May to decide their sentence-suspension applications. The matter remained unresolved, prompting their counsel, Faisal Siddiqui, to approach the apex court again.
During Thursday’s hearing, the Supreme Court questioned why its earlier direction had not resulted in a decision by the IHC. The bench subsequently granted the couple bail pending the outcome of their appeals.
Mother criticises rearrest
Imaan Mazari’s mother, Shireen Mazari, criticised the rearrest in a post on X, saying the couple had been taken into custody from Adiala Jail before the release paperwork had been completed.
The rearrest has added another layer to the ongoing legal proceedings involving the two lawyers, with the Supreme Court’s suspension of their sentences applying to the separate social media posts case while the new proceedings continue before the ATC.
Why it matters: The case involves two separate legal proceedings: the Supreme Court’s suspension of the couple’s PECA sentences and their subsequent custody in a separate case. The ATC has rejected physical remand but ordered 14 days of judicial custody.